With the right type of training program, you can certainly build muscle with any type of training program and nutrition. The Carnivore diet has come on to the scene such as most extreme diets with some pretty bold claims.
The Carnivore diet is a meat only focused diet with some allowing salt, cheeses, and creams. This type of diet seems to only be best for weight loss because of how satiating protein is as a whole causing you to eat in a calorie deficit. Some have also seen great results also with an improvement in food intolerances and allergies.
If you are still wondering whether to embark on this meat only eccentric diet, let’s take a more in-depth look at the Carnivore Diet.
The Carnivore Diet
If you google the Carnivore Diet or listen to podcasts and even join Carnivore Facebook groups, you will see that it is the next coming evolution as a way to eat. While it may seem extreme at first glance, and it is, there are some who have healed major health problems by following a meat only diet.
As extreme as the carnivore diet is, this diet has helped many heal diseases while getting in shape and building muscle. As mentioned before this diet is just strictly meat, which foods high in protein are very satiating and filling. you do need protein to build muscle, especially for protein synthesis and muscle repair after workouts.
With that being said you can build still build muscle on the Carnivore diet as well as any other diet if you are training properly, getting enough recovery, and not basing your nutrition around highly processed foods.
Dr. Shawn Baker is a former orthopedic surgeon who is one of many that is leading the carnivore diet movement. You can find him easily on many podcasts and youtube videos. I believe he is in his 50s and he is still an extremely strong guy and in great shape. Dr. Baker is still building muscle and continuing to increase strength while following the carnivore meat only diet. If you are interested in this way of eating, he has a lot of information out there.
The carnivore Diet also causes you to lose fat and retain muscle by using your fat source as energy versus using glucose. when you lose fat you look aesthetically more muscular looking even if you aren’t as strong you.
Another appealing benefit to building muscle while on a carnivore diet is not happy me to count calories. while counting calories are good at the beginning of a nutritional lifestyle they are what I consider to be training wheels. It really opens up your eyes when looking at macros and your calories. By how much we are actually overeating as a population.
The carnivore diet is also thought to increase testosterone, which is thought to increase muscle mass as well. You can definitely find people online in forums or videos, who were obese and changed their lives by the carnivore diet by improving their health as well.
If you look at what they’re doing, they are working out 4-5 times a week. Also, incorporating strength training and they’re doing more cardio. While being in a calorie deficit by just eating meat alone.
Just like the ketogenic diet this also seems to be a fad that’s going to come and go. It seems to be like a more extreme version of Keto. A Ketogenic diet is great and a lot of people have gotten great results from it, but is it a diet that most cannot sustain over a lifetime.
If you are healthier because of being in a ketosis state and you can stick with it for the rest of your life, by all means, go for it! Most people will not be able to stick to this kind of a way of eating because of societal pressures in life with family and friends. I know I wouldn’t be perfect at sticking with it.
What happens when a new Diet becomes popular everyone jumps on the bandwagon in are looking for extreme quick results, which quickly puts you back in the place where you started. Back in the yo-yo diet, going from starvation to binging. I’ve got the t-shirt!
Sadly this will just leave you looking for the next trendy diet to jump on for a quick Health fix. once again the ketogenic diet doesn’t work for some. Personally, my body does not run well on a ketogenic diet or an all meat diet.
I am a health coach, not a nutritionist but I feel that you need to eat a wide variety of foods to nourish your body. Not only for your health, but for your performance when it comes to working out and being able to build muscle.
There are plenty of results with before and after pictures of those who use the carnivore diet to build muscle and lose fat. We still just don’t know the long-term results of how an all meat diet can affect your health.
The carnivore diet is also focusing on protein and helping people get in a lot of protein to help build muscle. It’s hard for us guys who have families and careers to be able to measure everything out and make sure that we are getting the right amount of protein.
This is one reason why the carnivore diet does work well because it is a protein-focused way of eating. The recommended amount for protein changes all of the time, and no you don’t have to be perfect making sure you get the exact amount of protein to increase muscle.
However, you do want to be within the ballpark and this is anywhere from .7 grams per body weight and 1 gram per body weight.
Here are some of the claimed benefits, besides building muscle from the Carnivore from those who try it.
- Weight Loss
- Decreased inflammation
- Increased Testosterone levels
- Preventing Nutrient deficiencies
- Controlled Blood Sugar
- You don’t have to count calories
What can I Eat on The Carnivore Diet
- Any type of red meat
- Bacon
- Poultry
- Fish-But fattier Meats are recommended
- Whole Eggs
- Some Carnivore eaters include Dairy
- Salt and Pepper
That’s about it, it’s pretty straight forward and simple. I’ve seen where some have even mixed in small amounts of broccoli for some fiber.
More Health Benefits to the Carnivore Diet
If you google the Carnivore Diet or listen to podcasts and even join Carnivore Facebook groups, you will see that it is the next coming evolution as a way to eat. While it may seem extreme at first glance, and it is, there are some who have healed major health problems by following a meat only diet.
Jordan Peterson a famous and well known Canadian psychologist was on The Joe Rogan Experience, who was turned onto the diet after his daughter Mikhaila Peterson healed some life long major health issues.
Mikhaila, claims that this meat only diet cured her of her juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as well as from depression. She also cured herself of her plaguing autoimmune disease.
Her father Jordan Peterson also claims to have more vitality then he’s ever had before and his mental health is much better. Sometimes you have to question studies with every component and not to take them at face value. And sometimes the results lay within the power of the people and not in a lab.
With that being said there are not a lot of studies to back up this “new trend” of eating.
Reasons why Most shouldn’t do the Carnivore Diet
In my opinion, I believe there is a place for a Carnivore diet, and that it’s not for building muscle. This can be a good short term elimination diet for food allergies or sensitivities, then slowly bringing back in foods to see if you are having any negative reactions to them.
- Likely that it doesn’t decrease Heart Disease
- There is little evidence that it decreases inflammation in the body
- If you are eating a fattier diet it can raise your testosterone, but probably not enough to build muscle or increase libido
- If you are only eating meat you will be eating less fiber and vitamin C then the daily recommended intake, if deficient in these the chance of disease can improve
You can lose more weight by eating more protein and fewer carbs. But, you don’t have to completely eliminate them to lose weight. Sometimes I eat more meat then carbs, but I need to eat healthy carbs to fuel my muscles. The carbs I like to focus on are high fiber and starchy carbs.
I like to fill my plate with 40-50% proteins and 40% high fiber carbs with the remaining 10% starchy carbs. There is a big difference in getting carbohydrates through foods like sweet potatoes and peas versus processed foods.
Study on Carb types and how it Affects Insulin Levels
I used to believe that all carbs are the devil and they will spike your insulin sky high and will make you fat! According to this study below shows that do not seem to be the case, once again it is about the type and quality of the carbs you are eating. Of course, if you are eating sugary processed high carb foods that can be problematic.
In the past couple of decades, evidence from prospective observational studies and clinical trials has converged to support the importance of individual nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. The quality of dietary fats and carbohydrates consumed is more crucial than the quantity of these macronutrients. Diets rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, moderate in alcohol consumption, and lower in refined grains, red/processed meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages have demonstrated to reduce diabetes risk and improve glycemic control and blood lipids in patients with diabetes. Several healthful dietary patterns emphasizing the overall diet quality can be adapted to appropriate personal and cultural food preferences and calorie needs for weight control and diabetes prevention and management. Although considerable progress has been made in developing and implementing evidence-based nutrition recommendations in developed countries, concerted global efforts and policies are warranted to alleviate regional disparities.
While the whole saturated fat attack was demonized in the past, recent studies show that it’s not likely the cause of most cardiovascular disease. The whole study of consuming red meat and cancer link was proven to be false.
Chris Kresser does a good job of breaking down this debate. So the Carnivore does have that working in their favor. I know this was off subject but I wanted to include that information.
Lacking in certain Micronutrients and Fiber
If you embark on the Carnivore journey, it’s likely you will miss out on a lot of minerals and vitamins from plants and fruits. I know the Carnivore diehards will say I eat organ meats to fill all of my deficiencies.
Organs meats are healthy and that’s great, but some have reported developing some serious food intolerances for staying on this way of eating for too long. While it can have benefits as an elimination diet it seems to have reports of not being beneficial to most peoples health.
How Carnivore affects Digestion
I also hear that the Carnivore diet does not clog the pipes and that elimination and digestion are normal. Fiber is critical when it comes to digestion gut and digestion health.
Secondly, fiber is important for gut health, and we all know the craze about health. Science is finding out that it acts as the second brain, ever head “trust your gut instincts?” Gut health is related to how strong your immune system is, if you are lacking in good bacteria then chances are your immune system isn’t optimal.
Final Thoughts
While there has been many on the Carnivore Diet that has been able to build muscle and heal health issues, it doesn’t seem to be a long term fix.
As someone who has bounced from fad diet to fad diet trying to find something that works, I can understand the excitement and promise of trying something new and fresh.
The Carnivore diet seems to be great for an elimination diet, that’s why some claim to feel more energetic and have a clear mind. This could be because they have eliminated a food sensitivity or food allergy they didn’t realize they had.
The biggest reason for weight loss is because people removed processed food from their diet. Meat is also more filling then high carb foods. As someone who loves meat and will eat usually eat more protein than any other macronutrient, I still feel best when I add some carbs.
I tried the Keto and Carnivore diet and I didn’t feel as strong when working out and my body always looked flat. When healthy carbs are added I feel like a different person.
These are just my opinions and research, it’s best to work with your doctor at the end of the day if you have any medical issues, preferably a functional medicine doctor.
It’s a struggle when it comes to Nutrition because we are more obese and sicker then ever yet there are so many books out about diet and nutrition, I’m going to leave you with this blog from the “Godfather of health” Paul Chek.
He believes in a Metabolic typing way of eating depending on what side of the world you are from and your ancestors, where some have thrived off high carb diets and some off of high-fat diets. Not anyone diet is potentially not best for everyone, long term.
At the end of the day eating whole rich foods and grass-fed meats, while eliminating processed foods 80-90% of the time will get you quicker and more sustainable results than a fad diet will. We are looking for a lifestyle, not a diet because diets don’t work long term.